Peat-drier.



PATBNTED JULY 17, 1906.

P. J. BUCKLBY.

PEAT DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.l, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l,

712 172 asses,

PATENTED JULY '17, 1906.

P. J. 'BUGKLEY.

PHAT DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.1,1904.

jzderzzor' Fazke'ckJEzZcZzZg dtdvrrzey No. 825,957. PATENTED JULY 17, 1906.

P. J. BUOKLEY.

PEAT DRIER."

APPLICATION FILED AUG.1.1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FEAT-DRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1906.

Application filed August 1,1904. Serial No. 219.048.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PATRICK J. BUoKLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Waukesha, county of WVaukesha, and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Peat-Driers, of which the following is a specification and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The object of the invention is to provide means for quickly and economically removing the water from peat in its natural state to such an extent as to bring the material at least approximately into such conditions as to render it usable as fuel.

Peat suitable for fuel is usually taken from bogs, and upward of eighty per cent. of the mass as dug is water, and the whole is permeated by entrapped air. The structural character of the peat is such that the removal of the water presents serious difficulties and has heretofore been attended with such delay and expense as to render the operation impracticable.

The present invention comprises a gravity water-extractor in the form of a vertical cylinder for receiving the material, such cylinder being provided with one or more strainers, and dependence is had upon the weight of the material for forcing the water through the meshes of the strainer.

It comprises, further, a compressor provided with a reciprocating plunger, the peat as delivered from the gravity water-extractor being discharged into the compressionchamber of the compressor and being then driven forward by the plunger. The compression-chamber of the compressor is also provided with one or more strainers, and preferably pumps are applied to the receivingchamber to which the strainers deliver, both for Withdrawing the water and for creating a partial vacuum, so that the weight of the atmosphere is availed of, in part, for forcing the water through the meshes of the strainers and eliminating the air naturally entrapped in the material.

The invention consists also in a special form of filter and in a special arrangement and combination of the various parts of the machine, as hereinafter described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a detail side elevation of the complete apparatus, partially in section.

6, 7, and 8 are details of the strainers employed in the machine.

The apparatus is providedwitha tower 10,

upon which there is supported a tank 11 for j receiving the wet material, such material beingdelivered to it by means of the pipe 12,

leading from a pump 13.

The bottom of the tank 11 is in hopper form, as shown at 14, and delivers the material to a condensing-cylinder 15, depending from this hopper-bottom. Located u on the axis of the cylinder 15 there is a cy in' drical strainer 16, and forming a part of the wall of the cylinder 15, near its lower end, is a strainer 18. A jacket 17 surrounds and incloses the latter strainer, and the air-pipe 19 leads from this jacket. Water-pipes 20 and 21 lead, respectively, from the bottom of the jacket 17 and the bottom of the strainer 16 for the purpose of carrying away the water discharged from the peat, and the removal of this water is facilitated by the use of a pump 22, to the suction side of which the pipes 20 and 21 are connected; The peat passes downwardly through and from the cylinder 15 and enters the compression-chamber 23 of the plunger-com ressor, which is located at the bottom of the cylinder. The bodysection of this compressor is shown at 24 and is cylindrical in form and provided with a base or foot 25 upon which it rests. The induction-aperture, through which the cylin-.

der 15 discharges, is shown at 26. The plunger 27 reciprocates within the compressor and is driven by any suitable form of motor, as conventionally indicated at 28.

The material received into the compressor from the cylinder 15 is driven forward by the plunger into the strainer-section 29 of the compressor, and this section is surrounded and inclosed by a acket 30, from which the air is drawn through a tube 31 and the water is discharged through a pipe 32.

The plunger 27 is annular in form and slides upon a mandrel 34, the forward end of which is hollow, and a portion of which, located within thestrainer 29 is in the form of a strainer, as shown at 33. The forward end of the mandrel projects beyond the compressor, and a water-pipe 36 leads from it to the pipe 32, which is connected with the suction side of the pump 22. The air-pipes 19 and 31 unite with the pipe 37 leading to the suction side of the air-pump, conventionally shown at 38. Near the delivery end of the compression-chamber there is located a pluforced past them it is cut longitudinally of the mass.

The face 43 of the plunger 27 is preferably in the form of a screen, so that Water may pass through it into the chamber of the plunger, and it may be drained through a vent 44. This screen 43 is attached to the ends of the side Walls of the plunger and to annular walls 46, which form the bearing for the mandrel 34, and it is further supported by radial webs 45, extending between and preferably intergral with the wall 46 and the outer walls of the plunger.

I prefer to form the several strainers as illustrated Figs. 6 and 7, the strainers comprising an inner layer of sheet metal 49, an outer layer 47, preferably a casting, and an intermediate layer of fabric 48, preferably cotton cloth. The metallic elements of the strainer are freely perforated with fine holes,

as shown, andaiford ample support for the fabric interposed between them. A strainer thus formed, while ermitting the passage of water, will hold t e solid material and is found in practice to be highly efficient for the straining of peat.

The tank 11 is preferably of considerable depth, so that the weight borne by the material within the cylinder 15 is great and results in forcing the water through the walls of the strainers 16 and 18. The application ward from the tank, and a perforated draincylinder within the hollow cylinder.

. 2. In a peat-drying apparatus in combinaconduit and spaced apart from the walls 1 thereof.

5. In a peat-drying apparatus in combination, a hollow cylinder having perforated 1 walls, a casing inclosing the perforated walls, an air-pump, and a suction-pipe leading from the casing to the pump.

6. In a peat-drying apparatus in combination, a hollow cylinder having perforated walls, a casing inclosing the perforated walls, an air-pump, a suction-pipe leading from the casing to the pump, a water-pump, and a pipe leading from the casing to the waterpump.

7. In a peat-drying apparatus in combination, a gravity water-extracting device comprising a vertical cylinder having a strainer attachment, a plunger-compressor having a strainer attached to its com ression-chamber, and connection between t e vertical cylinder and the chamber of the compressor.

8. In a peat drying apparatus, a compressor comprising in combination, a cylinder having its walls perforated, a jacket inclosing the perforated portion of the walls, means for applying suction to the jacket, and a plunger arranged to reciprocate within the cylinder.

9. In a peat drying apparatus a compressor, com rising in combination, a cylinder, an annu ar reciprocative plunger within the cylinder, a mandrel on the axis of the cylinder and entering the central chamber of the plunger, such mandrel being hollow and having perforated walls.

10. In a peat drying apparatus a compressor, comprising in combination, a cylinder having perforated walls, a jacket inclosing the perforated section of the walls, means for applying suction to the jacket, an annular reciprocative plunger within the cylinder, a hollow mandrel on the axis of the cylinder and enterin the central chamber of the plunger and aving perforated Walls.

11. In a peat drying apparatus, a compressor, comprising in combination, a cylinder, an annular reciprocative plunger Within the cylinder, a mandrel on the axis of the cylinder and entering the central chamber of the plunger, such mandrel being hollow and having perforated walls, and means for applying suction to the chamber of the mandrel.

12. In a peat-drying apparatus, a compressor comprising, in combination, a cylinder having perforated Walls, aj acket inclosing the perforated section of the Walls, means for applying suction to the jacket, an annular re ciprocative plunger Within the cylinder, a hollow mandrel on the axis of the cylinder and entering the central chamber of the plunger and having perforated Walls, and means for ap lying suction to the chamber of the mandre 13. In a peat-drying apparatus in combination, a compressor comprising a cylinder and a reciprocative plunger Within the cylinder, and a set of knives arranged across the discharge end of the cylinder.

14. In a peat-drying apparatus, in combination, a cylinder, a chamber separated from the cylinder-chamber by perforated Walls composed of tWo perforated concentric metal cylinders and a screen of textile fabric interposed therebetween, means for applying suction to the first-mentioned chamber, a hollow reciprocative plunger Within the cylinder and having a face composed of tWo perforated metal plates and a screen of textile fabric interposed therebetween.

PATRICK J. BUCKLEY. \(Vitnesses:

LOUIS K. GILLsoN, CHAS. B. GILLsoN. 

